1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device, an image processing method and an image processing system which carry out image processing on the basis of image data or a drawing command. In particular, the present invention relates to an image processing device, an image processing method and an image processing system which synthesize and output an image, which is based on image data or a drawing command inputted from an image processing terminal, and an image which is stored in advance.
2. Description of the Related Art
DTP (desktop publishing) has come to be widely used as a way of digitizing in the field of printing processing. In DTP, at a processing device such as a personal computer or a work station or the like, a page layout is prepared by carrying out preparation, manipulation, editing, and the like of an image. On the basis of this page layout, preparation of a film for exposing a printing plate is carried out (CEPS), or a press plate for printing is prepared by directly writing onto a printing plate (CTP: computer-to-plate).
Accompanying the spread of DTP and the improvement in image quality of digital printers such as laser printers, page printers, and the like (which hereinafter are called “printers”) printing-out by using a printer is carried out in order to carry out simulations of printing machines.
Namely, when an image or a document prepared by applications on a computer is to be printed out, the image or document is outputted to an image processing device, is subjected to predetermined image processings at the image processing device, and is printed-out from a printer.
Among applications used at a computer, there are applications which are provided with a so-called merge printing function which, when an image or document or the like prepared at a computer is to be printed-out, print-out by superposing the image or document or the like on a form which is set in advance.
If an outer frame or a predetermined mark or the like is saved as a form by using the merge printing function, this form and the separately-prepared image or document or the like can be synthesized, and the synthesized image can be printed out.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-244828 proposes a security system used in printing processing or the like. In this security system for a printer, when a password or the like is designated and printing-out is requested, a job number is set and the printing data is stored in an HD or the like. Thereafter, by inputting the job number and the password, printing processing based on that printing data is executed. In this way, it is possible to prevent the contents which are printed-out from being viewed by a third party.
Further, JP-A No. 2001-125760 discloses a printing system which can make form data secure. In this printing system, for example, signature data or certifying seal data is stored as form data together with a password. When the signature data or certifying seal data is to be used as form data, by inputting it along with the password of the form data which is to be used, it is possible to use that form data. In this way, the signature data or the certifying seal data can be made secure, and cannot be used indiscriminately.
However, in these conventional proposals, even if a merge form which is synthesized with merge data is made secure, the synthesized data which is synthesized by the merging processing, and the print-out based on the synthesized data are not secure. Namely, although the security of the form data is considered, the security of the data which is synthesized by the merging processing is not considered. There are cases in which printing-out cannot be carried out at the timing desired by the client, there is a high possibility that the synthesized data and the printed output can be viewed by a third party, and the spool of the synthesized data and the reprinting and the like also cannot be made secure.